


Our Version of Events

by likeanchors



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-01
Updated: 2012-11-29
Packaged: 2017-11-29 06:32:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/683911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likeanchors/pseuds/likeanchors
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick doesn't know how to deal with his emotions properly, so he lashes out. He probably shouldn't do it live on radio though...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

When Nick gets to the studio he has two voice mails and a dozen text messages that he’s been ignoring since he woke up an hour ago. He’s not the best actor but no one seems to really notice that he’s a bit _off_ today. To be honest, he assumes that they’re simply putting it down to a hangover and excessive tiredness from pushing himself a bit too much this week.

 

What they don’t know is that he had an epic row with his secret not-so-boyfriend over the phone at one o’clock this morning about Halloween parties and drinking and other boys – and to be honest, Nick does get jealous. An argument of such immense proportions that Nick’s pretty sure his secret not-so-boyfriend’s messages are going to be the opposite of what he needs to turn this funk around.

 

So Nick settles for chugging his too-hot cup of tea, savouring the burn that’s currently scalding his throat. That’s better than the annoying lump that’s been there since he grudgingly went to bed after hanging up on Louis for the second time. He can’t help being jealous, Louis is insanely attractive and he just knows that one day someone’s going to steal him away and ugh! They’re not even officially dating but Nick already knows he’s going to lose Louis one day.

 

“So we need to choose those Grimmy’s categories,” Matt points out, shuttling a piece of paper with the whittled down categories over to him.

 

Blinking, Nick puts down his tea that’s now rapidly cooling and scans the flimsy piece of paper, Nick crosses off or circles the rounds he thinks would be okay before he sees it. There’s a reasonable part of his mind that tells him that it’s not right, the same part of his mind that is screaming at him that this will not go down well with _anyone_. But the cowardly, hurt part of him is louder and he circles the category and draws three little stars next to it to make sure that it ends up as one of the final ones.

 

When Nick starts reading the categories out an hour later he lets out a brief bubble of nervous laughter. This is actually the worst idea he’s ever had. He can’t actually bring himself to actually say one of the names so he passes it off to Matt at the last moment. He can’t help the relieved laughter that rockets through him when Matt mispronounces Oritsé’s name and he clings to that to keep the bile from rising at the back of his throat as Matt almost giddily announces ‘Louis from One Direction’. Nick actually feels sick. His stomach is actually twisting and turning because this is so fucking wrong.  Guilt eats away at him while Matt casually reads out some of the more incensed Tweets and Tumblr posts. Before the end of the show they delete the category Tweet and issue a half-hearted apology but Nick knows, he _knows_ , that this is nowhere near over.

 

After the show when Nick checks his phone there’s another six texts and a missed call. Relief sweeps through him when none of them are from Louis. Nick waits until he gets into his car before he calls his voicemail, his chest aching painfully as Louis’s voice, roughened from yelling, echoes out of the phone.

 

“ _Fuck, Nick! Just, call me back! Stop being a prick about this.”_

 

Nick almost wants to smile. He can actually imagine Louis, hair up on end from his hands tangling in it time and again, his cheeks pink from alcohol and emotion. Nick coughs delicately to distract himself from the awkward twinge in his chest.

 

_“Look, I’ve tried calling and texting but you’re obviously avoiding me. I don’t want to fight, not while we’re both in separate countries. And to be honest with you, I can’t even remember what we were arguing about. So just— I’ll call you tomorrow night or I’ll see you when I get back to London, yeah? I’m sorry for yelling – OW! Um, I gotta go, Zayn just threw a pillow at me and told me to shut the fuck up. I know you’re going to tease me mercilessly, but I really like you, Grimshaw and I miss that stupid thing you call a face.”_

 

“Fuck,” Nick mumbles, dropping his forehead onto the steering wheel. He was a dead man.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louis's back from doing promo in Europe, Nick's got some explaining to do.

It’s almost nine pm before his phone buzzes and he knows who it is before he even picks it up. ‘ _I’m not blaming you, but that was a shitty thing to do_ ’ it reads. And for once, Nick is surprised. He had really expected it to be Harry blasting him for this mornings on air gaffe that had divided Tumblr and sent a tonne of vitriolic hate to the Breakfast Team on Twitter and via email. To be completely fair it was well deserved. He could blame the hangover or the lack of sleep on the poor decision, but at the end of the day, it was just a poor fucking decision even if he did get to have a dig at The Wanted.

 

Nick drops his phone on to the countertop and slumps over it, hugging the cold marble and pressing his cheek to it like it has all the answers to the universe. His phone buzzes again, tipping it up to read the screen, Nick closes his eyes. ‘ _Ignoring me won’t make me go away. I’m in Italy, not invisible.’_ Standing in his kitchen with a cuppa and Lex whining at his feet isn’t exactly how he had imagined this happening, but he has no choice but to man up. Slipping on to one of the stools, Nick stares blankly at the screen for a moment before slowly typing out ‘ _I don’t even know how to begin apologising for this.’_ The reply comes back only moments later. ‘ _I’ll be back Saturday. That gives you two days to think of how you can make it up to me. :)’_

 

Giving up on his tea, Nick climbs into bed and spends most of the night tossing and turning rather than actually sleeping. His alarm going off before he knows it and somehow Nick manages to get dressed and drag himself down to the studio just in time to take over from Dev. It takes everything in him to get going and psych himself up that is until Finchy pulls him up while Coldplay is playing and tells him the listeners are mentioning he’s off today. The next few hours are the longest of his life but he finally storms out of the station sometime before midday. Nick blows off Pixie’s invite for lunch and opt, instead, to lock himself in his bedroom for the rest of the day.

 

By the time his doorbell goes on Saturday afternoon, Nick’s feeling an unusual rush of anxiety. When Nick opens the door he’s almost positive that Louis has never looked better.

 

“So I’m pretty alright, yeah?” Louis asks, shouldering past Nick while all Nick can do is stand there opening and closing his mouth like a fish. “Guess I should be content with that.”

 

“Lou,” Nick mutters, cringing when his voice comes out a little whinier than he had intended it to.

 

“No I get it. I’ve got nothing on the other boys, but I didn’t actually think–” Louis presses his hand to his forehead and shakes his head as he lets out a shaky breath. “I know you didn’t pick it, but fuck, Nick!”

 

But Nick did help pick it… but he doesn’t have to tell Louis that, right? Nick’s never really had to deal with anything like this before. He has no idea how to talk about feelings and things like that so he does the only thing he does know how to do. Crossing over to where Louis is standing, Nick threads his fingers through the short hairs at the nape of Louis’s neck and lightly rubs the tense muscles he finds. He thinks, intently, about pressing his lips to Louis’s because he knows how to handle Louis physically. Emotions are messy and they kind of hurt.

 

“Darling,” Nick murmurs, pressing his forehead to Louis’s. “I’m sorry.”

 

Nick thinks that he can see a hint of a smile at the corners of Louis’s lips so he tentatively presses his lips to Louis’s. There’s no reaction from the boy so Nick tries again, his tongue licking at the seam of Louis’s lips. “Sweetheart, please?” Nick asks. “How can I make it up to you?”

 

Nick can see the smirk that crosses Louis’s face and feels his stomach flip. Pushing lightly at Louis’s shoulders, Nick lets out a short bark of laughter and presses his lips, hard, to Louis’s and snogs Louis breathless. “You planned this,” Nick accuses, panting for breath. “Slag.”

 

Louis laughs before kissing Nick back, his fingers working the hem of Nick’s tatty t-shirt up and over his head. “And?”

 

“You had me worried,” Nick grumbles, stripping Louis’s shirt from his body.

 

“You? Worried?”

 

“Yeah!”

 

“You should be worried though.” Louis pauses and Nick thinks he sees something he can’t put a name on flitter across Louis’s expressive face. “You were just worried I wouldn’t sleep with you again.”

 

“Precisely,” Nick unintentionally yells, throwing his hands up. “I was worried I was going to have to get reacquainted with my right hand and have to find a new pop-tart to shag.”

 

Louis smiles fondly at Nick before leaning in to kiss him thoroughly. “It’s a good thing I like you,” Louis says, pushing Nick’s skinny jeans and pants down with one hand. Nick’s unable to help himself and he laughs long and low into Louis’s neck, “That’s right you _really_ like me, if  I remember correctly.”

 

Louis could respond, but he opts instead to roll his eyes and lick a wet stripe up the side of Nick’s face, grinning triumphantly when Nick pulls away and looks at him like he’s got two heads. Taking advantage of Nick’s distraction, Louis toes his shoes off and kicks them away. Unbuttoning his jeans, Louis turns and heads towards Nick’s bedroom, glancing over his shoulder at Nick who’s now rooted to the spot staring after him.

 

“Coming?” Louis asks. It would be decidedly sexier where it not for the silly face he was pulling while waggling his eyebrows.

 

Unable to help himself, Nick ducks his head to hide the goofy grin. Stepping out of his trousers, Nick follows Louis who’s stepping out of his jeans and pants and oh fuck-- Louis’s arse is right there, just out of touching distance, in all its glory. Sometimes Nick thinks it’s that arse that stopped all that silly sniping between them in the first place.

 

When Nick stumbles into the bedroom, Louis’s reclining on the pillows flipping through one of the books Nick keeps on his nightstand for aesthetic reasons. “I don’t want to talk about the other night,” Louis says casually, tossing the book onto the floor. “I kinda think it’s hot when you get jealous. But I think we can both agree that we were both a bit drunk and there was a huge misunderstanding.”

 

Nick nods mutely because Louis’s just started pulling himself off like it’s no big deal. “Minx,” Nick purrs, wrapping his hand around Louis’s ankle and tugging him down to the end of the bed. Straddling Louis’s thighs, Nick gently cups both sides of Louis’s head in his hands before kissing him softly. Slowly Nick explores Louis’s mouth, gently teasing him and nipping at his lower lip until Louis’s hands are grappling at his sides, trying to pull him down on top of him.

 

Nick has other plans though. He’s had almost two days to think of how to make this up to Louis and he’s hoping that he’s got the right idea. Slipping off of Louis’s lap, Nick tugs Louis to the edge of the bed and sinks to his knees. He won’t admit it, but Nick actually loves sucking Louis off. Nick takes Louis into his mouth, one of his hands spread across Louis’s abdomen. Nick learnt early on that Louis had a bad habit of bucking into the mouth around his cock without warning.

 

Nick waits until Louis’s practically clawing at the sheets before he pulls off and drags the tip of his tongue down the underside of Louis’s cock and mouths at his balls. Louis’s incoherent and babbling above him in a way that’s making Nick consider forgoing his plan and just fucking Louis as he is, but he’s planned this, damn it!

 

Guiding Louis’s feet up so that they’re on the edge of the bed, Nick pulls Louis’s hips down until Louis’s arse is just off the edge of the bed. Without warning Louis, Nick parts Louis’s cheeks and presses his lips to Louis’s taint. Louis tenses up, his head flying up off of the bed to stare at Nick as Nick gently laves at the one spot on Louis he’s been desperate to kiss for months now. It doesn’t take long before Louis relaxes and slowly he starts to rock his hips down. Grinning at his own genius, Nick slowly fucks Louis with his tongue until Louis is begging to come, a litany of “Please, fuck, please, Nick, god, let me come,” falling from Louis’s lips.

 

“Grab the lube, love,” Nick says, his voice dangerously husky. “Under the pillow.”

 

Louis doesn’t even question why the tube of lube is under the pillow and not in the sock drawer like it usually is. He passes it and the strip of condoms down to Nick who makes short work of opening up Louis and prepping himself while sucking a love bite onto the inside of Louis’s thigh.

 

Standing at the foot of the bed, Nick slowly sinks into Louis, until he’s balls deep. Stilling, he waits until Louis tilts his hips up and lets out a long breath before he starts moving. It’s easy for him to lean down and cover Louis’s body with his, something he secretly adores. He prefers to kiss Louis while they fuck, he likes to swallow the soft moans and whimpers that Louis is mortified by and keeps them close to his heart like treasured secrets.

 

Louis keens loudly just before he comes, his body shaking and convulsing as the orgasm is wrenched out of him. Seeing Louis like that tips Nick over the edge, he swears, low and harshly, as he rides the orgasm out.

 

After a few moments, when they’ve gathered their breaths they somehow manage to crawl up to the pillows. Collapsing against them Louis and Nick look at each other before grinning and Nick closes his eyes while Louis tells him all about Spain and Italy and Sweden. Louis’s regaling him with a delightful little tale involving Niall and food and to be honest, Nick’s only half listening.

 

“Lou,” Nick says quietly, curling on his side so that he can look at Louis who’s now watching him carefully. “I– you know that stupid award that you were kinda nominated for?”

 

Louis snorts, actually snorts, before raising an eyebrow at Nick. “Yeah, I’m pretty much informed on the whole ‘I’m not the fittest but I’m still alright’ thing,” Louis mutters, bitterness tingeing his words.

 

“Well, we’d been fighting and I hadn’t read your texts or listened to your voicemails and I was angry and–” Nick stops himself and makes himself look at Louis.

“You chose that one?”

 

Nick nods and swallows hard. “I’m sorry. I regretted it before we even read it out and I know I’ve fucked up. I told you I was rubbish at this kind of thing.”

 

Nick peeks up at Louis who is nodding, his jaw set as he stares at something on the other side of Nick’s room. He feels nauseous and horrible and he just needs to touch Louis so he does. Placing his hand on Louis’s thigh, Nick swallows a pleased sigh when Louis doesn’t flinch away. Nick makes himself sit up so that he’s sitting in front of Louis.

 

“I can’t believe you did it to hurt me.”

 

“I didn’t make the category up!”

 

“But you approved it, Nick.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Louis huffs out a breath and swings his legs over the side of the bed. “I think maybe I should go.”

 

“No!” Clambering over the side of the bed, Nick stands in front of Louis and grabs his hand. “I’ll make it up to you, Lou, just stay.”

 

“You intentionally set out to hurt me, Nick. Why would I want to stay?” Louis asks, pulling his hand out of Nick’s grasp.

 

“Because you knew I was a selfish prick when we started this,” Nick says solemnly.

 

A tense silence settles over the room and Nick is suddenly very aware that he may have really fucked things up. He almost jumps out of his skin when Louis’s fingers wrap around his pinkie finger. Dropping to his knees, Nick pressed his hand to Louis’s cheek and leant in to lightly kiss Louis’s lips.

 

“I’m a wanker, Louis,” he mumbles against Louis’s lips. “But I’m trying not to be.”

 

“You’re so lucky I’ve had two days to stew over this,” Louis says, covering Nick’s hand on his cheek with his own. “I’m not going to forgive this right away and you better believe that you’d better not pull something like this again.”

 

Smiling Nick presses his lips to Louis’s, grumbling under his breath when Louis ducks out of the way at the last moment. “Loueh!” Nick whines.

 

“Shut up and go make me a cup of tea,” Louis demands. There’s a smile at the corner of Louis’s lips that makes Nick think he’s joking, until Louis gives him a stern look and gestures to the door with his chin. “And bring some biscuits as well, I’m starving.”

Nick tries not to grin as he leaves the room. He still has Louis and that makes everything okay -- even if he isn’t thrilled with him right now.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick’s not sure what’s more frustrating, those little gifs on Tumblr of Louis’s belly or the fact that trying to get him into his bed is proving a difficult task.

Nick’s scrolling through Tumblr, like he occasionally does when the tracks are playing and he’s off air. There’s plenty of pictures of Louis in shorts and covered in sweat or tight fitting lycra and damn. Nick’s sure he probably looks like a lovesick twat, staring at edited pictures of his not-so-boyfriend’s arse and  thighs and if Nick wasn’t already appreciative of Louis’s physical attributes, he would be a complete convert now.

 

The songs is half finished when he finds the first picture and for a moment Nick is stunned. It’s a tiny, grainy still of Louis reclining against a window sill, his shirt hiked up and all Nick can see is tummy. Something hits the side of Nick’s head and he has to physically tear his eyes away and stop from refreshing the screen when Matt hisses his name and throws something else a lot harder at him.

 

“We’re about to hit dead air,” Matt says, gesticulating wildly at the dash.

 

Grinning, Nick easily slips back into his role as consummate morning DJ and spins a few minutes of bullshit before popping on the next track. He has to keep himself away from Tumblr for the rest of the show because zoning out again isn’t an option. Fearne can’t get there quick enough and after ten minutes of the usual bollocks, Nick’s shutting himself in the office and searching for more information.

 

It doesn’t take him long to find them. Four little moving squares dedicated entirely to a flash of Louis’s tummy when he and the boys were faffing about in the midlands the week before. A distressed whimper actually falls from his lips and he has to close the browser and step away from the computer. “Jesus Fucking Christ,” Nick whispers, pressing his face into his hands.

 

It takes Nick five minutes to regain his breath and to will his hard-on to disappear. Grabbing his keys and coat, Nick pulls his phone out of his pocket and scrolls through his messages. ‘ _What exactly did you get up to when you went up north?’_

 

Nick’s in his car, somewhere in North London, before his phone goes off. Fumbling for his phone, Nick unlocks the screen and tries not to drive off the road.

 

**‘ _I’m not sure what you think I’ve done. I’m going to need more information…’_**

Laughing at himself and the absurdity of the entire situation, Nick throws his phone onto the passenger seat and stops off at his local off license for a bottle of red. He’s half way through his second glass and his third re-watch of that damned video of the interview before his phone goes off again. **‘ _Nick? Is this about last night? ’_**

 

Confused and just a little bit tipsy, Nick stares at his phone and shakes his head before realising Louis can’t see the dismissive gesture. ‘ _Of course not. God, Lou, you were fit as fuck last night.’_

 

**_‘Then I’m not sure what you’re actually referring to, babe.’_** Comes the reply less than a minute later.

 

Scrubbing a hand down his face, Nick looks down at Lex who’s whining at his feet and lets the dog out so he can do whatever it is he needs to do. Glaring down at his phone like it’s offended him, Nick quickly types out, ‘ _You back yet?’_

 

**_‘Got in an hour ago. Why?’_ **

 

‘ _Come round?’_

 

Nick hates this. He absolutely hates having to beg but he’s frustrated and he’s barely seen Louis in weeks, what with the stupid radio circuit the band’s been doing.

 

Nick’s phone vibrates in his hand and he tilts the screen up. He reads the first word and feels his mood plummet even further. Today was the worst day ever. **_‘Sorry, got promo first thing. Need to sleep. Tomorrow?’_**

 

Nick finishes the glass of wine in one gulp and calls Lex in. Five minutes later he’s tucked up in bed looking at one of the pictures Louis sent him a few weeks back that he swore he’d deleted but had actually kept for prosperity and all that. Nick’s just getting himself worked up when his the message flashes up on the screen, **‘ _You didn’t answer the question, Grimshaw.’_**. Pushing himself up on to one elbow, Nick flicks his phone over to the camera app and snaps a picture of his cock and forwards it to Louis.

 

Nick’s orgasm washes through him just as Louis responds. **_‘Is that a yes to tomorrow?’_**

 

Nick doesn’t bother responding. Cleaning himself off, Nick rolls on to his stomach and somehow manages to drift off into a rather lovely dream involving Louis and lovely things like his tummy and thighs and that wicked smirking mouth and all the lovely things he can do with said mouth.

 

Nick wakes up at quarter past five to his blearing alarm and a string of filthy text messages from Louis that centre around his cock and various parts of Louis’s body. Somehow Nick manages to drag himself out of bed and get dressed instead of responding to the messages like he really wants to.

 

The morning drags on and Nick gets a few more messages from Louis. Just menial things like **_‘Morning!! :)’_** and **_‘I fucking hate that song, play something good!’_** and the like that Nick ignores. He’s glad when Tulisa arrives and of course today, of all days, is the day when he lands on Harry for call or delete. Well... at least it wasn’t Louis.

 

Ten minutes after Tulisa leaves Nick’s phone goes off again and he takes a deep breath before unlocking his screen. **_‘You haven’t played any one direction yet…’_** before he can finish reading the message another message pops up. **_‘Why are you ignoring me? :(’_**

 

‘ _I’m not. i just… look I’ll explain later? What time do you finish?’_

 

Nick already knows he’s going to be disappointed so when Louis replies with **_‘Late…’_** he turns his phone off and concentrates on doing his job.

 

Instead of waiting around like a love sick puppy Nick goes out with some of the guys from the studio and spends the more time than he should tweeting stupid shit. But it’s a work night and Nick climbs into bed just before ten and pulls out his phone. _‘You know, I wouldn’t mind actually seeing you sometime soon. Going to bed by myself is getting old quickly.’_

 

Nick falls asleep before Louis responds and when he wakes up there are two messages. **_‘I start late tomorrow… you still up?’_** followed by one that had been sent a little bit later, **_‘I’m guessing not. I’ll be at yours at 9 tomorrow.’_**

 

‘ _I hope you’re listening.’_ Nick texts mid show. He’s just rearranged a couple of songs in the playlist in some desperate attempt to communicate or something. To be completely honest Nick’s not actually sure what the hell he’s doing right now. This anger he’s holding on to like a lifeline is confusing because he’s not actually angry. He’s embarrassed and a bit butthurt and feels a lot more like a teenage girl than a grown man in his mid-late twenties.

 

**_‘B.o.B? It’s okay but not really my thing… unless you actually meant that Maroon 5 song for me…’_ **

 

Nick accidentally inhales his lukewarm coffee and chokes; coughing up liquid, Nick’s eyes water and he wipes his nose on his sleeve as he autoplays the next track and tries to fix this newly acquired breathing problem. He barely manages to tap out _‘No. Not Maroon 5! I was more trying to apologise for being a prat’_.

 

**_‘More like sap! I’ll be done by 9. Feed me biscuits and tea in bed and I’ll suck you off.’_ **

 

Nick almost chokes again, this time on air. Letting out a deep breath Nick somehow manages to talk a whole lot of shit into the microphone like he hasn’t just been propositioned via text message and that doing his job is the most important thing in the world. Sometimes Nick’s really glad he’s a born bullshitter.

 

‘ _If you’re late, I am going to make you wish you’d never been born.’_

 

Nick’s not actually surprised when Louis’s only response is a stupid little smiley face. Nick most certainly doesn’t smile stupidly for the rest of the show.

 

At eight-thirty Nick almost jumps out of his skin when his phone buzzes on the kitchen counter. Pulling up the message, Nick feels his chest do that silly little thing it sometimes does when he sees Louis. **_‘Pop the kettle on!’_**

 

Less than five minutes later Nick hears Lex bark and then whine before his front door opens and he ignores that silly part of his mind that just loves to point out he’s a lovesick fool. He fights back the grin that’s threatening to split his face and adds a drop of milk to Louis’s tea. On principle, Nick tries not to relax  into Louis’s body when Louis wraps his arms around his waist. Turning in Louis’s arms, Nick actually does grin as he presses his lips to Louis’s.

 

“Is that Yorkshire?” Louis mumbles against Nick’s lips in a way Nick finds endearing and infuriating in turn.

 

“No, it’s bloody Tetley,” Nick grumbles. “Why are you fussing over tea when you could be kissing me?”

 

There’s lots of manly giggling and sloppy kisses after that. Somehow Nick manages to drag Louis into his bedroom where the kissing becomes more intense and hands start wandering, tea completely forgotten on the kitchen counter. Nick could honestly kiss Louis all night, but he _wants_ Louis so the clothes disappear a lot quicker than Nick was expecting.

 

Nick groans when Louis’s lying there naked, all mussed hair and kiss swollen lips that makes Nick’s already painfully hard cock jump. “Missed this,” Nick murmurs, his hand running up Louis’s thigh. His eyes drift up and linger momentarily at Louis’s cock before being drawn up higher and oh god. Shamelessly, Nick presses his cheek against Louis’s belly.

 

Pressing soft kisses along the skin, Nick smiles against Louis’s belly and chances a glance up at Louis. He’s shocked to find Louis watching him, a small indulgent smile at the corner of his lips. “Your message a few days ago didn’t have anything to do with that interview we did in Manc, did it?”

 

“Hmm?” Nick hums, going back to lightly sucking on Louis’s belly. This part of Louis’s body is his favourite, well his eyes are gorgeous and his cheekbones are sinful and that mouth… ugh that mouth. But Louis’s tummy is the one place on Louis’s body that actually embodies who he really is. It’s both soft and hard and tense and relaxed and there’s that ‘v’ that frames his belly that drives Nick quite insane, not that he needs reminding thank you very much.

 

“I knew you had a thing for my stomach,” Louis whispers.

 

That got Nick’s attention. Pushing himself up so that he was hovering awkwardly over Louis, Nick cocks an eyebrow at Louis and frowns. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“That stupid cryptic text you send me on Tuesday it was because of the footage that was released from that interview we did in Manchester,” Louis accuses. “What, you think I always push my t-shirt up and play with my pants during interviews?”

 

Nick doesn’t actually know what to say. That’s diabolical and a damn stroke of genius. Nick actually wants to congratulate him because that was well and truly well played.

 

“I didn’t actually know if they were going to put it up, it was really just wishing and hoping,” Louis says, a bit softer this.

 

“Shut up,” Nick whispers, leaning up to kiss Louis. When he’s properly convinced that Louis’s not going to do that annoying talking thing again, Nick relinquishes his claim on Louis’s lips and goes back to laving attention on Louis’s belly.

 

Pressing the tip of his nose into Louis’s bellybutton, Nick grins when Louis squirms. When Louis contracts the muscles in his stomach, Nick drags the tip of his tongue along the grooves that appears and when Louis relaxes Nick settles for nipping at the soft skin. It’s not until Louis bucks up against him impatiently that Nick slowly heads south, spending a good few minutes sucking a large love bite onto Louis’s hip.

 

Nick slithers up Louis’s body and there’s nothing but too wide smiles and desperate kisses. Nick has to stretch his arm across to his night stand and grope around a bit and… “Where is the fucking,” Nick says, a little bit breathless. Hissing out a frustrated breath, Nick has to lean up and off of Louis’s body so that he can grab the lube and dip into the top drawer for a condom. “Got ‘em!”

 

“I’m not getting any younger,” Louis groans, his hand sliding up Nick’s chest to hook around Nick’s neck.

 

Nick manages to chuckle before kissing Louis with more force than is probably necessary, but Louis doesn’t complain, in fact he seems to get right into it. It takes a moment to reposition Louis’s body, and Nick’s nothing if not completely appreciative of just how flexible and compact Louis is, so that he can prepare Louis and still kiss him breathless.

 

“If you don’t fuck me soon,” Louis mumbles against Nick’s lips. “I’m going to–”

 

“You’re going to what?” Nick asks, fitting himself in between Louis’s thighs, lightly caressing Louis’s hip.

 

Shrugging a little, Louis lifts his hips and lets out a low whine. “I don’t know yet but I’m sure I’ll think of something. Continue.”

 

Nick wants to rub that imperious smirk off of Louis’s face so without warning, he pushes himself into Louis’s body, leaning down to kiss Louis and swallow the breathy groan that falls from his lips. He’s not decided if he wants to take Louis fast and punish the smug git, or if he wants to take him slowly and re-establish some kind of claim on Louis’s body -- and also, punish him a bit -- so Nick settles for somewhere in the middle.

 

Nick forgoes kissing Louis and focuses on teasing Louis, slowly dragging his cock out of Louis’s body onto to slam it back in moments later. Louis is one of the most expressive lovers that Nick’s had and the mewling sounds that Louis makes and tries to muffle against Nick’s shoulder are one of Nick’s favourite sounds in the world. That, combined with Louis’s fingernails that are biting deep into Nick’s upper arm and hip and the knee that Louis’s just thrown over Nick’s back in an attempt to open himself up more– “You’re so fucking hot,” Nick barely manages to gasp out.

 

 Louis lets out a low, strangled sound that hits Nick’s libido with more force than it should. Nick sets an almost brutal pace after that. He wants nothing more than for Louis to let go and for those little soft sounds to become something deeper. He feels like he hits the jackpot when Louis starts swearing; a long line of progressively amusing words that are becoming less intelligible the more worked up Louis gets.

 

Working Louis’s cock with one of his hands, Nick can feel Louis’s body start to tighten. It’s not until Louis comes all over his own stomach that Nick comes. Carefully pulling himself out of Louis’s body, Nick glances up at Louis before leaning down and lapping up the come on Louis’s belly.

 

“Knew you had a thing for my tummy,” Louis mumbles, his hand lightly tangling in Nick’s hair. Nick can hear the amusement in Louis’s voice when he adds, “I think you missed a spot.”

 

Nick lightly taps Louis’s thigh and pillows his head on Louis’s stomach. “Shush, ‘s bedtime and I’m sleeping here tonight.”

 

Louis snorts but doesn’t say anything. For a few minutes Nick is perfectly content with the sounds of their breathing and he’s almost asleep when Louis complains, “I’m cold and your big head’s making it hard to breathe.” Grudgingly Nick relinquishes his position on Louis’s belly and curls around Louis, dragging the blankets up around them. Settling for laying one hand on Louis’s tummy, Nick smiles against Louis’s forehead and mumbles “Go to sleep or you can share the couch with Lex.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s a reason why Louis’s wearing that polo shirt

“Freezing my bollocks off!” Nick cried, tip-toeing quickly across the bedroom floor before he dived underneath the covers. Louis didn’t move or say anything so Nick pressed his cold toes onto Louis’s calf and smirked when he cracked an eye and hissed at Nick. “I can’t believe Finchy wants me in so early. S’not fair, Lou.”

 

Huffing out a long breath, Louis kicked at Nick’s leg before pressing himself up and flopping onto his side. “Shu’p and go to sleep, Nicholas,” Louis mumbled. “You’re not the only one who has to be up early.”

 

“Lou,” Nick murmured, pressing the length of his body against Louis’s. “You don’t really want to go to sleep, do you?”

 

Lifting his head off the pillow, Louis glanced over his shoulder at Nick and glared at him. “Yes, Nick,” Louis said the ‘k’ coming out as a hard clicking sound. Dropping his head back onto the pillow with probably more force than was necessary, Louis bit out, “I really do want to go to sleep. I’ve had a long day and I’m fucking tired because some prick kept me up late last night.”

 

“You didn’t even get in til late so that’s hardly my fault, darling.” Nick smoothed his hand down Louis’s bare arm before tucking himself around Louis like an extra blanket. “Aimee’s out,” Nick whispered, pressing his lips to the nape of Louis’s neck and lightly sucking on the soft skin for a moment. “You can be as loud as you want.”

 

Louis let out a ragged groan and squirmed away from Nick until he was teetering precariously on the edge of the bed. Automatically Nick reached out one arm and curled it around Louis’s waist, tugging him back into the curve of his body; the back of Louis’s neck bright red where Nick’s mouth had been.

 

“I thought you were tired,” Louis pointed out. Nick grinned against Louis’s hair, he was almost positive that he heard a note of resignation in Louis’s voice.

 

“I’m always tired, babe,” Nick said with as much of a shrug as he could give lying sprawled across Louis. “I don’t always have you in my bed and an empty house.”

 

“I’m always in your bed and since when do you actually care if anyone hears?” Louis asked.

 

“Aimee asks questions,” Nick pointed out. “Fine, I’ll ravish you tomorrow night then.”

 

“You do realise that by the time I get home tomorrow you’ll be in a pissy mood because you’re tired or fast asleep,” Louis said through a yawn.

 

Rolling his eyes, Nick pulled on Louis’s shoulder until he turned over and into Nick’s tight embrace. “There’s always the risk of one of my terrible moods,” Nick agreed, not bothering to point out that Louis was the one who turned into an insufferable twat when he was overtired. “And if I’m asleep you can wake me up with a well timed blowjob.”

 

Louis actually snorted at that and pressed his forehead against Nick’s chest. He glanced up at Nick through his eyelashes and Nick briefly wondered if his heart had skipped a beat or if it was just his tired mind playing tricks on him. “I am tired though, babe.”

 

Groaning, Nick uncurled himself from around Louis and flopped onto his back like a starfish and pouted at the ceiling. There was nothing Nick hated more than responsible Louis. Responsible, adult-like Louis was an absolute buzzkill.

 

“Fine, get your beauty sleep, Popstar,” Nick grumbled, attempting to pull the blankets up with his toes.

 

Louis laughed and pulled the blankets up over the both of them before cuddling into Nick’s side. Louis’s breathing slowly evened out and Nick was slowly falling asleep when he heard Louis mumble, “We can fool around in the morning.”

 

Nick was sure that he heard knocking but his alarm didn’t knock so it wasn’t time to get up yet. Curling up on his side, Nick nuzzled into his pillow and then groaned out loud when a heavy arm landed on his head and pushed at him. “Ohw-cha,” Nick whimpered, pushing Louis’s hand away from his head. “That hurt.”

 

“Door,” Louis managed to rasp out, his voice thick and sleepy. “Get the fucking door.”

 

If it was cold when he went to bed, it was freezing now. Hissing as he hurried down the stairs, Nick unsnicked the lock and pulled the door, his mind not registering that it wasn’t completely open until Aimee laughed, “There’s a chain!”

 

Rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand, Nick slammed the door closed and pushed the chain out of its little thingy and started back up the stairs. When Aimee opened the door and an unbearably cold gust of wind followed her in, Nick’s sleep-addled mind decided he should’ve worn more than a pair of shorts to bed.

 

Nick flipped Aimee off when she said something he didn’t quite understand and closed the bedroom door with his foot, crawling back under the blankets with a small cry of delight. Checking the time on his phone, Nick grumbled under his breath about door chains and Americans and stupid boyfriends who made him get up at half one in the morning.

 

“Mah feet are cold,” Nick whined.

 

“If you put them on my body I will destroy everything you love,” Louis said, sounding more like a sleepy child than someone actually capable of destroying everything Nick loved.

 

“Fine,” Nick groused. Flipping onto his stomach, Nick punched his pillow before cuddling it and closing his eyes.

 

The next few hours passed in a haze of disrupted sleep. Every time Nick would drift off his body would jolt itself awake and he’d have to check his phone to make sure he hadn’t overslept. And every time he wanted to scream because he had to be up at five at the very latest and fuck that bloody door chain.

 

“Fucking hell,” Louis hissed, rolling over and pinning Nick to the bed. “Enough of the tossing and the turning and the groaning.”

 

In the dim light Nick could see the tendons sticking out on Louis’s neck. Unable to help himself, Nick pulled Louis’s head down towards his by the scruff of his neck. Pressing a bruising kiss to Louis’s lips, Nick wrapped his ankle around the back of Louis’s knee and flipped them over until Louis was on his back blinking up at Nick. Taking a deep breath, Nick gave Louis a moment to escape before leaning down to fasten his lips to Louis’s throat. Using his lips, teeth and tongue, Nick licked and sucked and bit at the supple flesh until Louis had to physically wrench himself away.

 

“Fuck, that’s going to mark you prick,” Louis moaned. “What the hell?”

 

Holding himself up above Louis, Nick tried to shrug. If he was completely honest he was tired and horny and Louis’s neck was just there, tendon jutting out, begging to be marked. Letting out a heavy sigh, Nick felt his arms give way and he crashed into the mattress beside Louis. Pressing his face into Louis’s neck, Nick poked his tongue out and lazily licked Louis’s throat until Louis pushed him away.

 

“Can’t sleep, Lou,” Nick murmured, pushing his fingers through his hair.

 

Louis snorted and lightly rubbed Nick’s shoulder before saying, “Never would’ve guessed.” There was a moment of silence before Louis dipped his hand into Nick’s shorts. “C’mon, I’ll wank you off, if that doesn’t put you to sleep nothing will.”

 

Nick stuttered out a breath and bit his lip while Louis worked his cock. It should’ve been embarrassing how quickly he came but Nick was honestly too tired to actually care. He half-heartedly made a grab for Louis’s crotch, almost glad when Louis deflected his hand and tutted. “Go to sleep, Nick,” Louis said softly.

 

And sleep Nick did. It was still too soon before his alarm was blaring at him, dragging him from blissful sleep. Louis pushed at Nick’s arm hard and muttered something into his pillow that Nick didn’t quite understand. Feeling around for the alarm, Nick turned it off and rolled over until he was curled around Louis.

 

“D’n’t you hafta be at w’rk?” Louis yawned around the words and snuggled deeper into his pillow and the blankets.

 

“Five more minutes,” Nick murmured against the back of Louis’s neck.

 

Twenty minutes later Nick and Louis were both startled awake by the insistent knocking on the front door and the buzzing of the doorbell. Fumbling for his phone Nick swore under his breath and kicked the blankets off. Hurrying down the stairs, Nick quickly apologised to the cabbie and explained that he’d be ten minutes. This was not how today was supposed to start.

 

When he got back upstairs Louis was sitting on the edge of the bed scratching his belly, his glasses perched precariously on the tip of his nose. “You overslept,” Louis pointed out. “Five minutes my arse.”

 

“Lou’s not gonna be able to cover them up,” Nick laughed, throwing a white t-shirt on and gesturing at Louis’s neck. “And yes, let’s _please_ talk about your arse when I have to be out the door in five.”

 

Nick really wanted to laugh when Louis scrambled across the bed, into the en suite and pawed at his neck.“Oh, god!” Louis practically shrieked as Nick shimmied into a pair of black skinnies. “You’re a dead man, Grimshaw! _I’m_ a dead man.” Nick sidled up to Louis and casually started to brush his teeth while Louis stared at him incredulously. “I have to be at a fucking awards show tonight Nick! I can’t go looking like a fucking leper.”

 

Nick snorted and choked on a bit of toothpaste. Quickly doing his hair, Nick leant over to press a kiss to Louis’s cheek only to be batted away.

 

“Get off me,” Louis snarled, looking more and more like an angry kitten by the minute. “Who knows what you’ll do to me.”

 

“Careful, pumpkin,” Nick warned. “It’s not even six yet, don’t wanna start the day off with a case of the grumps.”

 

Lightly petting Louis’s hair, Nick flashed him a grin before stuffing his pockets with his phone and wallet and leaving. “Have fun and don’t run off with some burly German bloke,” Nick called over his shoulder.

 

Nick was just finishing up his spring roll when his phone went off. Expecting it to be a pissy text from Louis explaining all the ways Louis was going to injure him when he got back; Nick was pleasantly surprised when Harry’s name flashed up on his phone. What he wasn’t expecting was the obviously sneakily taken photo of Louis in a polo shirt.

 

_He’s not happy about the polo shirt but at least he won’t complain about being cold. x_

 

Grinning at the screen Nick tapped out a quick reply to Harry before deciding to push his luck with Louis.

 

_You look hot. Keep the polo and we can have some fun. xx_

 

Barely a beat passed before his phone vibrated in his hand and ‘Prissy Poptart’ popped up on the screen.

 

**_Fuck off. x_ **

 

Laughing into his drink, Nick put his phone into his pocket and went back to discussing song choices for the night before arguing over whether they should go to Lucky Voice or Karaoke Box.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are so many physically attractive qualities to Louis, so why the hell did he have to go and pick talking as his ‘Good Feeling’. Nick’s not having it. He’s really not.

_Talking isn’t a physical trait, love x_

 

Nick placed his phone back on the coffee table and went back to looking at the pictures that had been released earlier. He had no idea that Louis had even participated in the Radio One Good Feelings promotion let alone what he’d chosen as his best _physical_ trait. Of course Styles had gone with his hair and not his eyes or his monstrous hands. Nick can’t help but roll his eyes and he almost wants to giggle at some of the submissions. He makes a mental note to rib Gregory about his legs the next time he sees him. It’s Louis that gets him though. And Nick tries to convince himself that the little smile on Louis’s face doesn’t leave him a little bit breathless.

 

**_I need a bit more info if you want me to contribute to the conversation. x_ **

 

Nick rolled his eyes and looked at the picture of Louis and maybe it’s just because he knows Louis’s face so well that he sees the hint of uneasiness at the corners of Louis’s eyes.

 

_The R1 good feelings schtick. You said ‘I love my talking’!_

 

Nick quickly grew bored of clicking through the pictures of his colleagues and pop stars of varying degrees of fame holding up similar body parts they think are their best. He’d write a post-it about how Murs’s best feature is his bulge and not his smile and Matt’d get bonus points for putting his non-existent abs if he wasn’t so lazy.

 

**_Oh that. It’s nothing. Couldn’t think of anything is all :)_ **

 

Nick was pretty sure that if he was gripping his phone any tighter it would shatter. “Couldn’t think of anything?” Nick hissed, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table and using his legs to push it away. “You stupid, beautiful, infuriating boy!”

 

_I hope you’re alone!_

 

Nick had to take a few calming breaths before he dialled Louis’s number. “You couldn’t _think_ of anything?” Nick was more than aware how high his voice was pitched but he can’t find it in him to care.

 

“I’m alright thanks, Nicholas. How are you?”

 

“I’m fucking fabulous apart from the fact that my idiotic boyfriend fails to see how unimaginably gorgeous he is!” Nick could feel his chest heaving. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, imagining Louis’s face all contorted with confusion and irritation. Somehow it actually made him feel better.

 

“There’s no need to get worked up about it,” Louis groaned.

 

“Then name something you like about yourself, physically,” Nick said, demanded really.

 

“Fine,” Louis exhaled and Nick felt all the more flustered for it.

 

“Well?”

 

“I have okay feet?” Louis’s voice went up at the end like he was asking a question.

 

“Your feet stink, Lou.” Nick didn’t even bother trying to hold back the heavy sigh that rumbled through him. “Pick something good or I’ll make Harry take my jumper off of you. No touch of Nick for you.”

 

Louis snorted down the phone and Nick fell back against the couch cushions. “C’mon Lou,” Nick grumbled.

 

“I guess my eyes are nice.”

 

“Sorry, was that eyes or thighs?” Nick couldn’t help but smirk, licking his lips as he conjured up images of said thighs in his mind’s eye.

 

“You’re fucking terrible, you know that right?” Louis actually managed to sound disgusted before a bubble of laughter flew down the phone line. Nick’s smirk blossomed to a full, shit-eating grin and he closed his eyes as he enjoyed the sound. “I said eyes,” Louis clarified. “My eyes are nice.”

 

“I’ll accept your answer,” Nick murmured. “But just for the record I would have also accepted thighs. As well as your calves, collarbones, biceps, forearms, cheekbones, your little nose– oh god your bloody neck and let’s not forget your waist and your stomach.”

 

“Anything else?” Louis sounded slightly put off and Nick was desperate to know if his cheeks were burning.

 

“Don’t you ever forget that you’re stunning,” Nick growled down the phone. “None of this ‘I can talk a whole load of shit’ rubbish, you’re allowed to be a little bit vain, darling.”

 

“Like you, you mean?” Ah, there was that cheeky little imp Nick knew and loved.

 

“Oi, cheek!” Nick snapped, trying desperately not to smile. “Now, tell me what’s happening in America!”

 

“Sorry, babe, we’re in rehearsals at the moment and I’m about to get my phone confiscated by an irate band member.”

 

“Hi Liam,” Nick groaned and let his head loll to the side. “But fine, leave. I’ll find some other pretty young thing to entertain me.”

 

“Say hi to Pix for me!” Louis said a bit too enthusiastically. “I’ll call you later, yeah?”

 

“Go work you lazy sot.” Nick enjoyed hearing Louis choke on the other end and quickly added, “My bed misses you,” before hanging up.


End file.
